This invention relates in general to firearms and in particular to a new and useful firing pin safety lock for an automatic firearm.
The invention relates to a firing pin safety lock on an automatic firearm, in particular a rapid fire cannon, with a breech mechanism movable from a rear position into a priming position, the firing pin being movable in the breech mechanism by a support piece into a secured and into a released position, and the support piece being in operative connection with a locking element.
From Swiss Pat. No. 644,947 an anti-priming device in an automatic firearm is known, which prevents unintended firing of a shot if something is wrong with the weapon. In it, a breech mechanism movable in the breech mechanism housing from a rear position to an igniting position is selectively secured in a position before its igniting position. For this purpose, there is employed in the known anti-priming device a pivotable locking element which cooperates with a spring. Depending on the position of the locking element assumed through pivoting, a lug engages in a control piece and prevents it together with the connected primer from moving forward in the direction of the cartridge chamber. This known anti-priming device is relatively expensive because special drive means are required for the pivoting of the locking element.
If is perfectly well known that in automatic firearms malfunctions may occasionally occur due to breakage of a part, dirt accumulation, or loss of closing spring force.
By such malfunctions the breech mechanism is prevented from reaching its frontmost position, namely the priming position. Now if malfunction due to external action, as for instance shock or vibration in transport or due to manipulation of the weapon, to correct the malfunction, the impediment of the breech mechanism is removed. The feed process is interrupted by the malfunction and it may be carried to its end in an uncontrolled manner and may even ignite the cartridge contained in the cartridge chamber. This leads to great danger to the operator and to the environment of the firearm.